Granular dry to wet slurry blender/dispenser systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for weighing and mixing pigments for concrete in a granular form are provided. The systems and methods dispense one or more granular color pigments as a slurry at the point of concrete product.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/748,379, entitled “GRANULAR DRY TO WET SLURRYBLENDER/DISPENSER,” which was filed on Jan. 2, 2013. The entiredisclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present inventions relate to systems and methods for weighing andmixing pigment additives for concrete in a granular form. The systemsand methods relate to dispensing one or more granular color pigments asa slurry at the point of concrete production.

BACKGROUND

Concrete production facilities add iron oxide pigments or otheradditives to concrete to color concrete, to add other attributes toconcrete, or to otherwise beautify and increase value to the finishedproduct. Iron oxide pigments or other concrete additives are availablein powder, liquid, and granular forms. A granular form of additive is anadditive formed into pellets, grains, or granules as opposed to apowder. Some concrete producers use automated color dispensers fordispensing iron oxides or other additives into the concrete mixer inorder to reduce labor and increase consistency. Currently on the marketthere are systems to dispense powder, liquid, and granular additives.

Powder systems are too slow to keep up with modern concrete productionrequirements. Powder color or other powder additives have a tendency to“bridge” or clump up, making it difficult for the powder to flow throughpipes and bins. Vibrators tend to pack the powder in the bins, so highvoltage augers are used. Occasionally, bridge “breakers” are added tohelp the powder flow through the bins. In many cases, powder pigmentcannot be dispensed into concrete at the point of production due tothese issues. Dust control may also be required for automated powderedcolor pigment.

Liquid color is produced by blending powder iron oxide, water, andchemicals. Liquid color requires an average of 40% higher dosage byweight than powder or granular color to compensate for the liquid,primarily water, in the pigment formula. A liquid color mixture shouldbe kept in a temperature-controlled environment to prevent freezing anddrying of the product. A liquid color mixture should also be recycledregularly to prevent settling. Accordingly, it is often difficult to useliquid color mixtures at a job site.

Granular pigment is also produced from powder pigment. The purpose ofproducing the granular form is usually for automation in materialhandling. Granular pigment does not bridge or clump like powder pigment,and with minimal vibration or agitation, the granular pigment flowseasily. There are some granular systems in the market, and some of thesesystems use 3-phase, high-voltage power and are very slow. Othergranular systems dispense the pigment pneumatically through airpressure, which can be a major burden on the concrete productionequipment, such as the plant's air compressor system. Dispensing thegranular pigment in dry form directly into a cement mixer can also causesome dispersion issues, causing lower tint or color strengths in thefinished concrete. Thus, efficient and economical systems and methodsfor mixing granular pigment with cement at a job site are presentlyunknown.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for weighingand mixing additives for concrete in a granular form at a job site. Theinventive system consumes minimal power and uses gravity to feed andmove the granular pigment and slurries through the system.

In accordance with one embodiment, a system for weighing and mixingpigment additives for concrete in a granular form is disclosed. Thesystem comprises: at least one tote, at least one hopper downstream ofthe at least one tote, a weigh vessel downstream of the at least onehopper, at least one valve downstream from the hopper and upstream fromthe weigh vessel, at least one mixing blade mounted in the weigh vessel,and a controller.

Methods of controlling operation of a concrete additive mixing systemare also disclosed. One method comprises: selecting a recipe, at leastone granular concrete additive, and a target batch weight, determiningthe amount of water required for the recipe selected, filling a weighvessel with the amount of water required for the recipe selected,opening at least one valve to release the granular concrete additiveinto the weigh vessel, mixing the granular concrete additive and waterin the weigh vessel, determining the weight of the combined water andconcrete additive in said weigh vessel, and opening or closing said atleast one valve in response to the combined weight of water and granularconcrete additive in said weigh vessel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate some exemplary embodimentsdisclosed herein, and together with the description, serve to explainprinciples of the embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a weighing andmixing system.

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) depict the logic flow of an exemplary embodiment ofweighing systems and methods.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a weighing and mixingsystem.

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of a front view of an exemplary embodimentof a weighing system.

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing of a front view of an exemplary embodimentof a weigh vessel.

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of a top view of an exemplary embodimentof a weigh vessel.

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing of a side view of an exemplary embodimentof a discharge pump.

FIGS. 8 through 10 depict various exemplary embodiments of mixing bladeconfigurations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary systems and methods for weighing and mixing pigment additivesfor concrete in a granular form are described herein. The logic flow ofsoftware for a weighing system is also described. These and otherfeatures of the system, as well as some of the many optional variationsand additions, are described in detail hereinafter. The embodimentsdisclosed herein may be embodied in different forms and should not beconstrued as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, theseembodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough andcomplete, and will fully convey the scope of the embodiments to thoseskilled in the art.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which these embodiments belong. The terminology used in thedescription herein is for describing particular embodiments only and isnot intended to be limiting of the embodiments. All publications, patentapplications, patents, and other references mentioned herein areincorporated by reference in their entirety.

As used in the description of the invention and the appended claims, thesingular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the pluralforms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. To theextent that the term “includes” or “including” is used in thespecification or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a mannersimilar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted whenemployed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extentthat the term “or” is employed (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “Aor B or both.” When the applicants intend to indicate “only A or B butnot both” then the term “only A or B but not both” will be employed.Thus, use of the term “or” herein is the inclusive, and not theexclusive use. Also, to the extent that the terms “in” or “into” areused in the specification or the claims, it is intended to additionallymean “on” or “onto.” Furthermore, to the extent the term “connect” isused in the specification or claims, it is intended to mean not only“directly connected to,” but also “indirectly connected to” such asconnected through another component or components.

Numerical ranges as used herein are intended to include every number andsubset of numbers within that range, whether specifically disclosed ornot. Further, these numerical ranges should be construed as providingsupport for a claim directed to any number or subset of numbers in thatrange. For example, a disclosure of from 1 to 10 should be construed assupporting a range of from 2 to 8, from 3 to 7, from 5 to 6, from 1 to9, from 3.6 to 4.6, from 3.5 to 9.9, and so forth.

All references to singular characteristics or limitations of the presentdisclosure shall include the corresponding plural characteristic orlimitation, and vice versa, unless otherwise specified or clearlyimplied to the contrary by the context in which the reference is made.

The following are definitions of exemplary terms used throughout thedisclosure. Both singular and plural forms of all terms fall within eachmeaning:

As it pertains to the present disclosure, “granular” pigment or additiverefers to pigment material that has been created from a powder form bymeans of compaction or spray drying, or a combination thereof. Compactedgranular pigment is powder pigment that is forced together underpressure. Spray dried powder pigment is first made wet with water and abinder, and during the drying process a granular pigment is formed.Granular pigment particles and their formation are known in the art.

“Software” or “computer program” as used herein includes, but is notlimited to, one or more computer or machine readable and/or executableinstructions that cause a computer, microprocessor, logic circuit, chip,programmable logic controller, or other electronic device to performfunctions, actions, and/or behave in a desired manner. The instructionsmay be embodied in various forms such as routines, algorithms, modulesor programs including separate applications or code from dynamicallylinked libraries. Software may also be implemented in various forms suchas a stand-alone program, an app, a function call, a servlet, an applet,instructions stored in a memory or any other computer readable medium,part of an operating system or other type of executable instructions. Itwill be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the form ofsoftware is dependent on, for example, requirements of a desiredapplication, the environment it runs on, and/or the desires of adesigner/programmer or the like.

“Computer” or “processing unit” as used herein includes, but is notlimited to, any programmed or programmable electronic device, computer,portable digital assistant (“PDA”), cell phone, pad, notebook,microprocessor, controller, or logic circuit that can store, retrieve,and process data.

A “Network” as used herein includes, but is not limited to, a collectionof hardware components and computers or machines interconnected bycommunication channels that allow sharing of resources and information,including without limitation, the worldwide web or internet. A networkcan be a wireless network or wired network or a combination of both.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for weighing and mixing pigmentadditives for concrete in a granular form. One exemplary embodiment ofthe concrete additive mixing system stores dry granulated pigment orother granular additives for use in concrete production in one or moreremovable totes. The pigment or other granular additive is weighedtogether with water during mixing at the time a batch of granularpigment is turned into a slurry for mixing into concrete. Weighinggranular color material as it is mixing with water, and mixing whileweighing increases the speed of the entire process and allows deliveryof the resulting slurry at a job site through the use of gravity.

While these systems and methods can be used with any granular additivefor concrete preparation and manufacturing, these systems and methodsare described with respect to use with granular color pigments andconcrete. However, the invention is not limited to uses or methods forpigment by this description, but rather, the invention can be used forany granular concrete additive.

Now, with particular reference to the drawings, exemplary embodiments ofthe invention are described below. The drawings disclosed herein shouldnot be construed as limiting, but are provided for purposes ofillustration. FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3 through 10 depict exemplary embodimentsof gravity fed granular pigment mixing system 100. FIG. 1 depicts aschematic side view of a mixing system 100. Each granular additive isstored in a top tote 2. In certain embodiments, four granular pigmentadditives are stored in four separate removable top totes 2. As can beseen in the Figures, each tote is intended to be used with a differentpigment or color of granular material. The top totes 2 may be designedto store a full or “super” sack of granular color material. A super sackis a term of art used for bulk bags of granular or other cementadditives. Super sacks may be of various types and sizes, but oneexemplary super sack is approximately 3 foot square with an opening onthe top for filling and a snout on the bottom for emptying. In oneexemplary embodiment, the top totes 2 are 100 Liter Top Storage Binsmanufactured by Reliable Sheet Metal located in Fullerton, Calif., andare comprised of sheet metal. However, the top totes can be comprised ofany suitable material such as plastic or another metal.

As can be seen in the Figures, a hopper 4 is situated downstream fromeach top tote 2. In certain embodiments, hoppers 4 may be permanentlymounted to a frame or base 7 and situated downstream from the fourremovable top totes 2. In one embodiment, the inside hoppers arepermanently mounted, whereas the top totes can be removed forreplenishment. However, in other embodiments, the hoppers 4 may beremovable from the frame or base 7 as well. In one embodiment, eachhopper 4 is designed to store one-half of a “super” sack of granularcolor material, but can be of any size. In one exemplary embodiment, thehoppers 4 are 42 inches×18 inches Base Storage Hoppers manufactured byReliable Sheet Metal, and are comprised of sheet metal. However, thehoppers can be comprised of any suitable material such as plastic oranother metal. The top totes 2 can be simultaneously removed andreplenished while the concrete additive mixing system is operating.Granular material from within the inside hoppers 4 can be used duringremoval of the top totes 2 for refilling. Each hopper 4 and tote 2combination corresponds to a different color of granular pigment. Thus,in the embodiment shown in the Figures, there are four colors ofgranules that may be used for any pigment recipe.

As further described herein, after a controller 300 (shown in FIG. 2(a))actuates the start of the mixing process, the water fill valve 30 opensto release water into the initially empty weigh vessel 6. The amount ofwater is weighed in the weigh vessel 6 by load cells 28, and anelectrical signal indicative of the weight of the water is transmittedto the controller 300 until a set point for the water weight is reached.

The weigh vessel may be of any suitable configuration. In variousembodiments, the weigh vessel may be an 8 foot×16 foot container or an 8foot by 10 foot container, both manufactured by Martin Container locatedin Carson, Calif.

Load cells 28 are known load cells or strain gages that generate anelectrical signal indicative of the weight of the weigh vessel that canbe detected by the controller 300. This signal is typically a DC voltagesignal that is an analog signal, but could also be digital in form. Inone exemplary embodiment, the load cells are model No. SBS-500manufactured by Florida Industrial Scale Company located in Longwood,Fla., coupled with a Rice Lake Scale Indicator model No. IQ355.

As further described below, after the correct amount of water isreleased into the weigh vessel 6, granular pigment additive is thenadded to the weigh vessel 6. The granular additive is released from theinside hopper 4 to the weigh vessel 6 via a fill tube 10. In certainembodiments, the fill tube has an angle θ that is between about 20degrees and about 80 degrees. In an exemplary embodiment, the fill tubeangle θ is about 35 degrees. In certain embodiments, each fill tube isequipped with a known vibrating mechanism 14 to aid the movement of thegranular additive through the fill tubes. In one exemplary embodiment,the vibrating mechanism is a model ATU41 Vibrator manufactured by MartinEngineering. This model is a pneumatic turbine vibrator that mounts onthe bottom of the fill tube. Other known vibrators that could be usedare called “knockers” or electric vibrators.

Each fill tube 10 is connected to a valve 12 (see FIG. 4), whichcontrols the flow of the granular additive from the hopper 4 to theweigh vessel 6. In accordance with one embodiment, the valves 12 arebutterfly valves. In an exemplary embodiment, the valves are 4 inchelectronically controlled and pneumatically actuated Butterfly Valvespurchased from AC Controls Co., Inc. located in Charlotte, N.C., whichare Keystone Valve Model No. 4-221-789-62-20-0000 coupled with anactuator model No. 001-01009-MRP-004U-K-D000-DA. In other embodiments,the valves may be any control valve, any actuated valve, a ball valve, agate valve, a pinch valve, or any combination thereof. This disclosureis not limited to any valve constructions shown in the figures ordescribed herein.

In an exemplary embodiment, the valves 12 open and close at fourintervals: high, medium, low, and “inch.” However, valves 12 could openand close in any controllable manner in other embodiments. At the firstinterval, “high speed,” the valve 12 is fully open. Granular pigmentflows freely through the fill tube 10 and open valve 12, with theassociated vibrator 14 aiding the movement of the pigment into the weighvessel 6. The granular pigment flows into the weigh vessel 6 while themixing motor 22 mixes the mixture of water and granular pigment with themixing blades 24 mounted to the weigh vessel. In an exemplaryembodiment, the mixing motor is a Mixing Motor Model No. 4Z231manufactured and/or sold by Grainger Industrial Supply. With referenceto FIGS. 8 through 10, in certain embodiments, the mixing blades areconfigured to shear the granules during mixing to provide equal tintstrength throughout the mixture. In an exemplary embodiment, the mixingblades 24 are four circular wheels 50 with teeth 52 on their outerperimeter that point either up or down in an alternating fashion. Inthis configuration, the teeth 52 are at approximately 90° or normal tothe circular wheel 50. In addition, the wheels may be configured so thatthe teeth protrude in opposite directions. This configuration of mixingblade is shown to be effective in mixing granular slurries inembodiments of this mixing system. However, the mixing blades disclosedherein are not limited to this mixing blade construction, and may beused with any known apparatus used to mix slurries or liquids.

With reference to FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the logic flow of an exemplaryembodiment of the systems and methods are described. The flow of thelogic of the methods and systems will be described referring now to FIG.2(a). This logic flow may be residing or embodied in software within acontroller or computer 300, but can be accessed through a PDA, pad, cellphone, or any other device through a wired or a wireless network. Thesystem operator first selects the pigment manufacturer in step 202 andthe color or colors of pigment in step 204 to be created or batched.These items are stored in the memory of the system's computer 300. Theoperator then enters in the cement weight and/or the concrete batch sizein step 206, and then presses or actuates the “start” batch button orcontrol. In certain embodiments, the cement weight can be entered inpounds of cement per yard. In other embodiments, the cement weight canbe entered in number of 94 pound cement sacks per yard of concrete. Thegranular color system calculates the water required for the batch instep 208 based on user preferences and the recipe selected. In oneembodiment, a water-to-color ratio for each base color and a mix waterminimum is used to calculate the amount of water required. For example,the “yellow” granular pigment may have a water-to-color ratio of 1.7,meaning 1 pound of yellow granules requires 1.7 pounds of water formixing. The mix water minimum can be 0 to 150, and is pre-set by userpreference, which may be based on the size of the components in thesystem. The system uses the greater of the two values of thewater-to-color ratio and the mix water minimum. Accordingly, if thecalculated water based on the water-to-color ratio is less than the mixwater minimum, the system uses the minimum. In other embodiments, no mixwater minimum is used and the water-to-color ratio determines the amountof water used. Based on the recipe selected, a target or batch weightfor the mixture of particular pigment is set by the computer in step210. A pigment recipe can also include more than one color of granules,and the batch weight of this blended recipe is set in the same waydescribed above for each color of granule.

Referring now to FIG. 2(b), after the user has completed the stepsdescribed in FIG. 2(a) setting up or configuring the mixing process, theprocess begins at step 212 by opening the water fill valve as describedabove. While mixing, the entire water and granular additive mixture issimultaneously and continuously weighed by the load cells 28. The loadcells constantly provide weight feedback signals from the weigh vessel 6to the computer 300.

In step 216, the valve 12 is fully open at “high speed.” Granularpigment flows freely through the fill tube 10 and open valve 12. Whileoperating at high speed, the entire water and granular additive mixtureis simultaneously and continuously weighed in step 218. As the granularadditive system meets a medium speed set point, the controller adjuststhe system to “medium speed” in step 220 while a mixing motor (notshown) and blades shown in FIGS. 8 through 10 continue to mix. Incertain embodiments, the system operates at medium speed when the weightof water and concrete additive in the weigh vessel is about 50 poundsfrom the target batch weight. However, the systems and methods describedherein are not limited to a particular set point from the target batchweight. Upon switching from high speed to medium speed, the valve startsto open and close repeatedly to slow the flow of the granular pigment.In certain embodiments, at “medium speed” the valve alternates betweenan open position and a closed position at substantially equal intervals.In certain embodiments, at medium speed the valve alternates between anopen position for about 0.75 seconds to about 2 seconds, and a closedposition for about 0.75 seconds to about 2 seconds. In otherembodiments, at medium speed the valve alternates between an openposition for about 1 second and a closed position for about 1 second.The inventions described herein, however, are not limited to anyparticular time interval for medium speed, and the valve 12 could be ineither an open or a closed position for any period of time between 0seconds and 5 minutes, based on user preference and system design.

While operating at medium speed, the entire water and granular additivemixture is simultaneously and continuously weighed in step 222. As thegranular additive system meets a low speed set point, the controlleradjusts the system to “low speed” in step 224 while the mixing motor andmixing blades shown in FIGS. 8 through 10 continue to mix. In certainembodiments, the system operates at low speed when the weight of waterand concrete additive in the weigh vessel is about 15 pounds from thetarget batch weight. However, the systems and methods described hereinare not limited to a particular set point from the target batch weight.At low speed, the valve alternates between an open position and a closedposition such that the valve is in a closed position for a longerinterval than an open position. In certain embodiments, at “low speed”the valve alternates between an open position for about 0.3 seconds toabout 0.8 seconds, and a closed position for about 1.3 seconds to about1.8 seconds. In other embodiments, at low speed the valve alternatesbetween an open position for about 0.5 seconds and a closed position forabout 1.5 seconds. The inventions described herein, however, are notlimited to any particular time interval for low speed, and the valve 12could be in either an open or a closed position for any period of timebetween 0 seconds and 5 minutes, based on user preference and systemdesign.

While operating at “low speed,” the entire water and granular additivemixture is simultaneously and continuously weighed in step 226. As thegranular additive system approaches an inch speed set point, thecontroller adjusts the system to “inch speed” in step 228. During inchspeed, the entire mixture continues to be mixed by the mixing motor andthe mixing blades shown in FIGS. 8 through 10. In certain embodiments,the system operates at inch speed when the weight of the water andconcrete additive in the weigh vessel is from about 1 pound to about 4pounds from the target batch weight. However, the systems and methodsdescribed herein are not limited to a particular set point from thetarget batch weight. In certain embodiments, the mixing motor may turnoff at inch speed. In certain embodiments, at inch speed the valvealternates between an open position and a closed position such that thevalve is in a closed position for a longer interval than that of “lowspeed.” In certain embodiments, at inch speed the valve alternatesbetween an open position for about 0.1 seconds to about 0.3 seconds, anda closed position for about 2 seconds to about 4 seconds. In otherembodiments, at inch speed the valve alternates between an open positionfor about 0.25 seconds and a closed position for about 2.5 seconds. Theinventions described herein, however, are not limited to any particulartime interval for inch speed, and the valve 12 could be in either anopen or a closed position for any period of time between 0 seconds and 5minutes, based on user preference and system design.

While operating at inch speed, the entire water and granular additivemixture is simultaneously and continuously weighed in step 230. In step232, when the granular additive system reaches the target batch weight,the controller displays a message that the granular color batch iscomplete as newly-created slurry and ready to discharge into theconcrete mixer 8. Because the system mixes batches while obtainingweight feedback, the color mixture can be dispensed in step 232 as soonas the target batch weight set point is reached and mixing is completed.Thereafter, the discharge valve 32 opens and the discharge pump 38 turnson, and the slurry is pumped from the weigh vessel into a concrete mixer8. In certain embodiments, the concrete mixer 8 may be mounted on avehicle such as a truck or a railroad car. In other embodiments, theconcrete mixer 8 may be located at a jobsite for pouring and setting ofthe concrete. The weigh vessel 6 and discharge pump 38 are cleaned usingthe spray nozzle 26 and water fill valve 30 with a predeterminedquantity of water that is also discharged into the concrete mixer. Inone embodiment, the spray nozzle is a 180 Degree Rotating Spray Nozzle,model No. 3/4TWK180180316SS manufactured by Bex, located in Ann Arbor,Mich. The air purge valve 34 opens and blows the discharge line empty.Thereafter, the granular color system is ready for the next batch ofpigment.

In certain embodiments, the above opening and closing of the valve atparticular intervals repeats for each granular color required for aselected color recipe. In certain embodiments, the system's softwareallows the granular pigment to weigh as fast as 12 pounds per second inhigh speed mode with accuracy of about 0.10 of a pound. In certainembodiments, the valves receive open or close signals as frequently asabout 0.05 of a second. However, the inventions described herein are notlimited to these speeds or these upper ranges of speed.

The systems and methods described herein are not limited to anyparticular valve construction. In addition, the operation of the valvesdescribed herein is not limited to opening and closing a valve at timedintervals. For example, in accordance with other embodiments,electronically controlled valves may be configured to open to aparticular percentage of opening at certain intermediate weight setpoints, in order to control the flow of the granular additive into theweigh vessel. For example, the valve may be fully open at the beginningof a batch mixing period, and gradually close as the weight of the batchincreases, until it is fully closed when the weight set point for abatch is reached.

In various embodiments of the system disclosed herein, four primarygranular colors are used in formulas or recipes to produce hundreds ofcolor combinations for concrete. In exemplary embodiments, these fourcolors comprise yellow, light red (or orange red), medium red (or bluered), and black. Each of these colors use a different tote 2/hopper 4combination in the system. In one illustrative example, a recipe for 564pounds of colored cement may include a total of 7.32 pounds of coloredpigment. To reach this illustrative shade of colored cement, 3.84 poundsof yellow pigment, 0.84 pounds of light red pigment, and 2.64 pounds ofblack pigment are weighed and mixed by the system and method disclosedherein. This example is provided solely for the purpose of illustration,and is not to be constructed as limiting the present disclosure, as manyvariations of the number of pigments, shades of pigments, and amounts ofpigments in each batch of cement are possible and in fact infinite innumber.

Therefore, as can be seen above, this system deposits one or more colorpigments together with water into a weigh vessel for particular recipes.Each color of pigment is deposited on top of the previous colorsdeposited into the weigh vessel, and the one or more pigment colors aremixed together and with water and continuously weighed together. Theweight set points of a batch of color pigment are added together with,or otherwise compensate for, other pigment previously weighed andpreviously mixed in the weigh vessel. Only after the total batch weightfor a complete pigment recipe or slurry comprised of more than onegranular material is reached will the discharge valve 32 open and theslurry be pumped from the weigh vessel.

This system moves and weighs granular color pigment and other concreteadditives with gravity and uses vibrating fill tubes with valves to helpthe granular pigment move quickly. Further, this system controls theflow or fill rate into the weigh vessel using consistent weight feedbackcontrols, and weighs the granular pigment combined with the mixing waterto create a slurry. All of these process steps are designed forsimplicity, speed accuracy, and safety.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, all sub-embodiments and optionalembodiments are respective sub-embodiments and optional embodiments toall embodiments described herein. While the present application has beenillustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while theembodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not theintention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope ofthe appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages andmodifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art.Therefore, the application, in its broader aspects, is not limited tothe specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrativeexamples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made fromsuch details without departing from the spirit or scope of theapplicant's general disclosure herein.

Any description of specific embodiments of the systems and methodsherein has been given by way of example. The general inventive conceptsare not limited to any particular manufacturer or commercial product.Further, any of the exemplary embodiments described herein may becombined together and used in any combination with one another. It issought, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications as mayfall within the spirit and scope of the general inventive concepts, asdescribed herein, and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for weighing and mixing pigmentadditives for concrete in a granular form, the system comprising: atleast a first hopper and a first tote, and a second hopper and a secondtote, wherein, said first hopper corresponds to said first tote, andsaid second hopper corresponds to said second tote; a weigh vesseldownstream of the first and second hoppers, said weigh vessel configuredto mix water and granular pigment with at least one mixing blade,forming a slurry, and weigh the water and granular pigment, at least onevalve downstream from the hopper and upstream from the weigh vessel; anda controller, said controller comprising: a means for selecting arecipe, at least one pigment additive, and a target batch weight; ameans for determining the amount of water required for the recipeselected; and a means for opening and closing said at least one valve inresponse to the weight of a mixture of water and the at least onepigment additive in said weigh vessel.
 2. The system of claim 1, whereinsaid at least one valve is a butterfly valve.
 3. The system of claim 1,further comprising a means for opening and closing said at least onevalve at four intervals, the intervals comprising: (i) a high speed,wherein the valve is open; (ii) a medium speed, wherein the valvealternates between an open position and a closed position at equalintervals; (iii) a low speed, wherein the valve alternates between anopen position and a closed position such that the valve is in a closedposition for a longer interval than an open position; and (iv) an inchspeed, wherein the valve alternates between an open position and aclosed position such that the valve is in a closed position for a longerinterval than that of step (iii).
 4. The system of claim 3, whereinduring the medium speed, the valve alternates between an open positionfor about 0.75 seconds to about 2 seconds, and a closed position forabout 0.75 seconds to about 2 seconds.
 5. The system of claim 3, whereinduring the medium speed, the valve alternates between an open positionfor about 1 second, and a closed position for about 1 second.
 6. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein during the low speed, the valve alternatesbetween an open position for about 0.3 seconds to about 0.8 seconds, anda closed position for about 1.3 seconds to about 1.8 seconds.
 7. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein during the low speed, the valve alternatesbetween an open position for about 0.5 seconds, and a closed positionfor about 1.5 seconds.
 8. The system of claim 3, wherein during the inchspeed, the valve alternates between an open position for about 0.1seconds to about 0.3 seconds, and a closed position for about 2 secondsto about 4 seconds.
 9. The system of claim 3, wherein during the inchspeed, the valve alternates between an open position for about 0.25seconds, and a closed position for about 2.5 seconds.
 10. The system ofclaim 3, wherein the valve operates at the medium speed when the weightof water and concrete additive in said weigh vessel is about 50 poundsfrom the target batch weight.
 11. The system of claim 3, wherein thevalve operates at the low speed when the weight of water and concreteadditive in said weigh vessel is about 15 pounds from the target batchweight.
 12. The system of claim 3, wherein the valve operates at theinch speed when the weight of water and concrete additive in said weighvessel is from about 1 pound to about 4 pounds from the target batchweight.
 13. A system for weighing and mixing pigments for concrete in agranular form, the system comprising: a first, a second, a third, and afourth tote; a first permanent inside hopper downstream andcorresponding to said first tote, a second permanent inside hopperdownstream and corresponding to said second tote, a third permanentinside hopper downstream and corresponding to said third tote, and afourth permanent inside hopper downstream and corresponding to saidfourth tote; at least one fill tube downstream of the first, second,third, and fourth permanent inside hoppers; at least one butterfly valvedownstream of the first, second, third, and fourth permanent insidehoppers; at least one vibrator downstream of the first, second, third,and fourth permanent inside hoppers; a weigh vessel downstream of the atleast one butterfly valve, said weigh vessel configured to mix water andgranular pigment with at least one mixing blade, forming a slurry, andweigh the water and granular pigment; at least one mixing blade mountedin the weigh vessel; at least one discharge valve downstream of theweigh vessel; at least one discharge pump downstream of the weighvessel; at least one concrete mixer downstream of the weigh vessel; anda controller.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein said controllercomprises: a means for selecting a recipe, at least one color ofpigment, and a target batch weight; a means for determining the amountof water required for the recipe selected; and a means for opening andclosing said at least one butterfly valve in response to the weight ofthe mixture of water and pigment in said weigh vessel.